VATICAN CITY, 2 OCT 2011 (VIS) - Late yesterday Benedict XVI returned to the Vatican following his summer stay at Castelgandolfo. At midday today he appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
The Pope commented on today's Gospel reading which ends with a particularly severe admonition addressed by Jesus to the chief priests and Pharisees: "The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom".
"These words", Holy Father explained, "make us think of the great responsibility of those who, in all ages, are called to work in the vineyard of the Lord, especially in positions of authority. They encourage us to pledge total faithfulness to Christ. He is 'the stone that the builders rejected' because they judged Him to be an enemy to the law and a danger to public order. But, although rejected and crucified, He rose again, becoming the cornerstone upon which every human life all over the world can rest with absolute confidence. ... Firmly anchored in the faith to the cornerstone that is Christ, let us abide in Him. ... Only in Him, for Him and with Him can we build the Church, the people of the new Covenant".
"The Lord is always near and operates in human history", the Pope said. "He accompanies us with the presence of His angels, whom the Church today venerates as 'Guardian Angels'; in other words, ministers of God's concern for each man and woman. From life's beginning until the hour of death, human life is under their incessant protection. ... The angels crowned ... our Blessed Lady of the Rosary who on the first Sunday of October, at this very moment, in the Shrine of Pompeii and all over the world, receives fervent prayers that evil be defeated and that God's goodness be revealed in all its fullness".
After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father reminded those present that Sr. Antonia Maria Verna, foundress of the Institute of the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, is due to be beatified this afternoon in the Italian town of Ivrea. "She was", he said, "an exemplary model of a consecrated woman and educator".
Finally the Holy Father had words of encouragement for "the volunteer institutions and associations which work to dismantle architectural barriers".
ANG/ VIS 20111003 (410)
Monday, October 3, 2011
POPE TO BISHOPS: SEEK NEW PATHS OF EVANGELISATION
VATICAN CITY, 1 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Pope has exhorted European bishops "courageously to identify new missionary paths of evangelisation, especially in serving the new generations". These words are contained in a message signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and addressed to Cardinal Peter Erdo, president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE). The council, which is currently celebrating the fortieth anniversary of its foundation, is holding its plenary assembly in Tirana, Albania, from 29 September to 2 October.
Benedict XVI describes the CCEE as "a vital structure connecting the European episcopates, which for forty years has promoted fruitful collaboration in pastoral and ecumenical activities".
The council has chosen to dedicate its assembly this year to the subject of the new evangelisation, also in view of the Synod on that subject called by the Pope for October 2012. In the opening session of the plenary, Cardinal Erdo recalled how the mission of the CCEE "is to support the Church throughout the continent of Europe, focusing particular attention on those Churches which, during the course of last century, suffered greatly under the dictatorship of atheist regimes. ... Today we can confidently affirm that the rebirth of the Church in those countries is proof of Divine Providence and of faith in Christ, Who was crucified and rose again".
MESS/ VIS 20111003 (230)
Benedict XVI describes the CCEE as "a vital structure connecting the European episcopates, which for forty years has promoted fruitful collaboration in pastoral and ecumenical activities".
The council has chosen to dedicate its assembly this year to the subject of the new evangelisation, also in view of the Synod on that subject called by the Pope for October 2012. In the opening session of the plenary, Cardinal Erdo recalled how the mission of the CCEE "is to support the Church throughout the continent of Europe, focusing particular attention on those Churches which, during the course of last century, suffered greatly under the dictatorship of atheist regimes. ... Today we can confidently affirm that the rebirth of the Church in those countries is proof of Divine Providence and of faith in Christ, Who was crucified and rose again".
MESS/ VIS 20111003 (230)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 3 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Seven prelates from the Indonesian Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Aloysius Sudarso S.C.I. of Palembang.
- Bishop Hilarius Moa Nurak S.V.D. of Pangkal-Pinang.
- Bishop Andreas Henrisusanta S.C.I. of Tanjungkarang.
- Archbishop Hieronymus Herculanus Bumbun O.F.M.Cap. of Pontianak.
- Bishop Blasius Pujaraharja of Ketapang.
- Bishop Giulio Mencuccini C.P. of Sanggau.
- Bishop Agustinus Agus of Sintang.
On Saturday 1 October, he received in separate audiences ten prelates from the Indonesian Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Johannes Liku Ada' of Makassar.
- Bishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi M.S.C. of Amboina.
- Bishop Joseph Theodorus Suwatan M.S.C. of Manado.
- Archbishop Anicetus Bongsu Antonius Sinaga O.F.M.Cap. of Medan.
- Bishop Ludovikus Simanullang O.F.M.Cap. of Sibolga.
- Archbishop Nicolaus Adi Seputra M.S.C. of Merauke.
- Bishop Aloysius Murwito O.F.M. of Agats.
- Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar O.F.M. of Jayapura.
- Bishop Datus Hilarion Lega of Manokwari-Sorong.
- Bishop John Philip Sakil of Timika.
AL/ VIS 20111003 (190)
- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Seven prelates from the Indonesian Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Aloysius Sudarso S.C.I. of Palembang.
- Bishop Hilarius Moa Nurak S.V.D. of Pangkal-Pinang.
- Bishop Andreas Henrisusanta S.C.I. of Tanjungkarang.
- Archbishop Hieronymus Herculanus Bumbun O.F.M.Cap. of Pontianak.
- Bishop Blasius Pujaraharja of Ketapang.
- Bishop Giulio Mencuccini C.P. of Sanggau.
- Bishop Agustinus Agus of Sintang.
On Saturday 1 October, he received in separate audiences ten prelates from the Indonesian Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Johannes Liku Ada' of Makassar.
- Bishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi M.S.C. of Amboina.
- Bishop Joseph Theodorus Suwatan M.S.C. of Manado.
- Archbishop Anicetus Bongsu Antonius Sinaga O.F.M.Cap. of Medan.
- Bishop Ludovikus Simanullang O.F.M.Cap. of Sibolga.
- Archbishop Nicolaus Adi Seputra M.S.C. of Merauke.
- Bishop Aloysius Murwito O.F.M. of Agats.
- Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar O.F.M. of Jayapura.
- Bishop Datus Hilarion Lega of Manokwari-Sorong.
- Bishop John Philip Sakil of Timika.
AL/ VIS 20111003 (190)
Friday, September 30, 2011
CARDINAL KASPER, ENVOY TO SPEYER CATHEDRAL ANNIVERSARY
VATICAN CITY, 30 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter, written in Latin and dated from Castelgandolfo on 21 September, in which Benedict XVI appoints Cardinal Walter Kasper, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the 950th anniversary of the dedication of Speyer Cathedral in Germany, due to take place on 2 October.
In his Letter the Pope dwells on the significance the cathedral, which was built between 1030 and 1061, has had in German history, also underlining its important role in confirming the faith of the German faithful and their union with Peter's Successor. The Holy Father likewise greets Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of Speyer and express the hope that the forthcoming commemoration will be a time of grace. He concludes by inviting participants in the forthcoming celebration to practise the great Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity, like the Virgin Mary to whom the cathedral is dedicated.
BXVI-LETTER/ VIS 20110930 (170)
In his Letter the Pope dwells on the significance the cathedral, which was built between 1030 and 1061, has had in German history, also underlining its important role in confirming the faith of the German faithful and their union with Peter's Successor. The Holy Father likewise greets Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of Speyer and express the hope that the forthcoming commemoration will be a time of grace. He concludes by inviting participants in the forthcoming celebration to practise the great Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity, like the Virgin Mary to whom the cathedral is dedicated.
BXVI-LETTER/ VIS 20110930 (170)
VATICAN RADIO CELEBRATES EIGHTY YEARS OF ACTIVITY
VATICAN CITY, 30 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. yesterday presided at Mass at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens for the feast of the patron of Vatican Radio. The Mass was concelebrated by, among others, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. and Fr. Andrzej Koprowski S.J., respectively director general and director of programmes of Vatican Radio which this year celebrates eighty years of activity.
In his homily Cardinal Bertone gave a brief overview of the history of Vatican Radio, and expressed the hope that it may continue to be "a typically ecclesiastical medium of communication; that is, attached to the Church in the same way that the vine shoot is attached to the vine which nourishes it".
Following Mass, Cardinal Bertone conferred pontifical medals on six employees of the radio "for their faithful service to the Pope and the Church", while Fr. Lombardi gave Cardinal Bertone the first copy of a two-volume work, "Eighty Years of the Radio of the Pope", which is due to be presented on 4 October.
The introduction to the work was written by Fr. Lombardi himself. "The aim of this book", he writes, "is to help people remember and understand how Vatican Radio (both as an institution and as a community of people) has accompanied the last seven pontificates with the awareness that it has a mission to accomplish, a message to spread and a duty continually to seek and find new instruments to broadcast it". Vatican Radio constantly seeks to combine "commitment to evangelisation, inculturation of the message for the various peoples of the world, and the technical know-how to make that message reach 'unto the ends of the earth'".
RV/ VIS 20110930 (300)
In his homily Cardinal Bertone gave a brief overview of the history of Vatican Radio, and expressed the hope that it may continue to be "a typically ecclesiastical medium of communication; that is, attached to the Church in the same way that the vine shoot is attached to the vine which nourishes it".
Following Mass, Cardinal Bertone conferred pontifical medals on six employees of the radio "for their faithful service to the Pope and the Church", while Fr. Lombardi gave Cardinal Bertone the first copy of a two-volume work, "Eighty Years of the Radio of the Pope", which is due to be presented on 4 October.
The introduction to the work was written by Fr. Lombardi himself. "The aim of this book", he writes, "is to help people remember and understand how Vatican Radio (both as an institution and as a community of people) has accompanied the last seven pontificates with the awareness that it has a mission to accomplish, a message to spread and a duty continually to seek and find new instruments to broadcast it". Vatican Radio constantly seeks to combine "commitment to evangelisation, inculturation of the message for the various peoples of the world, and the technical know-how to make that message reach 'unto the ends of the earth'".
RV/ VIS 20110930 (300)
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